Posts Tagged ‘Mitochondria’

The primary function of mitochondria is to generate ATP that supplies cells with energy. Mitochondria are cell organelles comprising an outer and inner membrane, the latter enclosing a matrix space in which hydrogen and electrons are extracted. The inner membrane contains the respiratory chain; the energy from oxidation/reduction reactions is used to move protons out of the inner matrix and across the inner membrane. This establishes an electrochemical potential gradient across the membrane which allows the synthesize of ATP from ADP.

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General anaesthetic photolabels are used to find the molecular binding sites of anaesthetics, such as GABA receptors, protein kinase and tubulin. Involvement of anaesthetics with voltage-dependent channels for negative ions and the mitochondria has been demonstrated by photolabelling. At clinical concentrations anaesthetics can effect the functioning of proteins. Photolabels can attach to residues or individual molecules lining protein pockets, and thus indicate the presence of a dynamic ligand in a pocket.

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Brain regions where there is an increase in functional energetic demand have a corresponding increase in glucose metabolism, their metabolic rate for oxygen and their cerebral blood flow. Cerebral energy is seen as depending on the oxidation of glucose. Cerebral blood flow similarly tracks energy consumption.

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LIFE on the EDGE Jim Al-Khalili & Johnjoe McFadden, Surrey University (2014) Summary and review of the above book INTRODUCTION: This book is important in trying to bring a serious discussion of quantum biology to a lay audience. The continuing need to bring quantum biology into the mainstream is indicated by the sceptical tone of some of the book’s reviewers and the still sparse start-class article provided on Wikipedia. The main drive of the book is to indicate that quantum coherence Read more […]

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Common Origins Biological details based on ‘Molecular Biology of the Cell’, Bruce Alberts et al INTRODUCTION: Research since 2007 has shown that quantum coherence is utilised in increasing the efficiency of energy transfer in photosynthetic systems. What has not been emphasised in the discussion of this research is that the mitochondria that produce energy in animals cells probably evolved from the same type of bacteria as the chloroplasts of modern plant systems. Evolution tends to retain Read more […]